OU-C turns 65

7:21 AM,
Oct. 9, 2011

This year, the Ohio University-Chillicothe campus celebrates its 65th anniversary.

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CHILLICOTHE -- With humble beginnings in a local high school, Ohio's first college branch took root in its first capital 65 years ago.

Ohio University-Chillicothe opened at what then was Chillicothe High School in 1946, two years after the G.I. Bill became law, giving World War II veterans an avenue to further their education. Local veterans took advantage, accounting for 70 percent of OU-C's fall 1946 enrollment --a mere 281 students.

No campus to speak of existed, but students fostered a sense of community by forming a booster club to host social functions. In 1960, the growing demand for ...